Could the new Maserati Ghibli Hybrid be what electric dreams are made of?
Advertizement
Obsessions
Could the new Maserati Ghibli Hybrid be what electric dreams are made of?
Said to be faster than diesel and greener than gasoline, the Maserati Ghibli Hybrid saves fuel and reduces emissions without compromising on power and performance. We took it out for a spin to judge for ourselves.
The Maserati Ghibli Hybrid. (Photograph: Maserati)
06 May 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 04 Jul 2022 08:14PM)
The name Ghibli, in Arabic, refers to the hot airstream blowing in from the Sahara desert. So it is rather fitting that the new Maserati Ghibli Hybrid arrives as a powerful wind of change signalling a new era for the Italian automobile manufacturer.
In the Maserati universe, the very first Ghibli was introduced in 1967 in the form of the AM115, a two-door 2+2 V8-engined grand tourer.
At present, v-and-a-half decades and several incarnations subsequently, the Ghibli Hybrid opens a new chapter for the brand, equally its showtime-e'er model equipped with a hybrid engine.
Maserati is coming in a little belatedly to the electric game merely, as they say, better late than never.
Well, given the prevailing climatic change phenomenon and more stringent emissions requirements, automakers have little pick simply to advance their electrification plans or risk irrelevance.
And Maserati has decided to enter the electrical fray with a balmy hybrid (MHEV) rather than a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).
Pregnant, the car combines a 4-cylinder, 2-litre engine with a 48-volt hybrid system (comprised of a belt starter generator, a battery, an eBooster and a DC/DC converter) that enables energy to exist recovered when slowing and braking – instead of an external charging system every bit with a PHEV. This effectively saves weight, as the latter would require a larger battery pack.
READ> What information technology's similar to drive the Ferrari Roma alongside a Singaporean pro racer
Built entirely at the Turin Product Hub in Italia, the new Ghibli Hybrid thus offers an electric boost when yous demand additional torque; said to be faster than its diesel variant, with performance in line with the 350hp Ghibli petrol version.
And then with the new electrified powertrain and hybrid propulsion, you now have a car that consumes 20 per cent less fuel while cleverly reducing emissions by upward to 25 per cent, making the Ghibli Hybrid even more efficient than those equipped with diesel fuel V6 engines – while delivering the smooth response of a 6-cylinder engine.
All that works out to 330hp of power and 450Nm of torque, powering the Ghibli Hybrid to complete the century dash in a respectable 5.7 seconds.
Acceleration is brisk for this fairly heavy (almost ii-tonne) model built around a modified version of the chassis and bodywork of the Ghibli V6. At that place's better weight distribution with the engine forepart-mounted and the battery placed in the rear – all designed to make it a more than agile and fun drive. And agile it certainly is.
The Ghibli Hybrid blows through the streets like a powerful gale; you lot scarcely feel its heft. The ride is dynamic and firm, with body control mostly good, save for that one time in an underground carpark that got u.s. a petty shook.
Mitigating factors well noted, though, was the fact that it had been raining heavily that day and, paired with the smooth resin-coated flooring of the carpark, the body roll was greater than we would hope for for a vehicle of this grade.
The good news is that the i-off experience did not recur during our two full days with the Ghibli Hybrid, equally the rear-wheel drive demonstrated solid grip dynamics on asphalt during regular road driving.
To this end, the automobile integrates the Maserati Stability Programme, comprised of a system of sensors for early on detection and intervention. For case, when skidding is detected, the arrangement reduces the engine'due south torque output and may activate the brakes, with engine brake torque control initiated when downshifting on depression-grip surfaces.
Also worth noting is the Ghibli Hybrid'southward viii-speed ZF automatic transmission, which is also used on Maserati'due south Quattroporte and Levant models, ensuring ultra smoothen shifts and sharp handling.
Meanwhile, the double-wishbone suspension on the Ghibli Hybrid continues the brand'southward race-bred tradition, with the option of a Skyhook pause system where all four dampers tin can be electronically controlled independently of each other.
The latter, which comes as standard on the GranSport trim, becomes sportier with actress damping stiffness and further minimises trunk roll when the commuter presses the suspension button.
READ> What's it like to have an electrical automobile in Singapore? We took the new MINI Electric for a spin
IT'South WHAT'Southward INSIDE THAT COUNTS
As one would expect of a Maserati, the Ghibli Hybrid'due south interior cabin is as luxurious equally information technology gets; lavished in plush leather and elegant wood trimming for a superb level of craftsmanship, to say the least.
Besides the GranSport trim, which comes with a wood-finished leather sport steering cycle fitted with aluminium gearshift paddles and Inox sport pedals matched with a wood trim dashboard finished in high-gloss Blackness Piano, there's a more sectional GranLusso trim wrapped in a luxurious Ermenegildo Zegna interior.
On the latter, fine grain natural Pieno Fiore leather in Nero (black), Rosso (red) or Cuoio (tan) meets 100 per cent natural fibre mulberry silk inserts on the seats, door panels, roof lining, sunshades and ceiling light fixture.
The silk, e'er in anthracite colour, can also exist combined with iii unlike shades of fine leather in black, ruby-red or tan. Both trims feature 12-mode power sport leather front seats while the driver's seat on the standard model comes with half dozen-way electrical adjustment.
You'll observe the new-generation MIA (Maserati Intelligent Assistant) multimedia organization easy to use while appreciating the greater personalisation options, showcased in a MTC (Maserati Touch Control) Plus infotainment organisation that has grown from 8.4 inches to 10.1 inches, now more than elegantly couched in a frameless design.
At that place'due south wireless smartphone charging via a pop-out tray located below the touchscreen and controls, while an eight-speaker Harman Kardon Sound System comes equally standard on the baseline model. You can also opt for the 10-speaker Harman Kardon Premium Sound System or fifteen-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Premium Surroundings Sound Organisation with QuantumLogic Surround for those who want the finest hullo-fi equipment for company on their drives.
Supported by forwards and rear-view cameras, the suite of driving and safety assistance certainly come up in handy, from Adaptive Prowl Control with Stop & Go function and Active Blind Spot to Lane Keeping Assistance and Advanced Brake Assist. Traffic Sign Recognition, which provides existent-fourth dimension information on current speed limits on the instrument panel, is optional.
And in that location'southward notwithstanding some other slap-up characteristic: An Air Quality Sensor that utilises an intelligent sensor and indicate analysis arrangement to calculate external pollution levels and prevent polluted air and toxic gases from entering the cabin.
READ> Why Lamborghini won't restore your vintage supercar to mint condition
Sugariness (ELECTRIC) DREAMS ARE Fabricated OF THIS
Now let's talk exterior styling. The Ghibli Hybrid volition entreatment to those keen on its coupe-like silhouette and exclusive profile, characterised by a more elegant front grille.
Whichever shade you lot choose for the bodywork, it is certain to be sublime in its elegance. Though if y'all ask us, i need not expect farther than the bespoke Grigio Evoluzione shade of cool grey with bluish overtones.
Signalling the electric vibes of the Ghibli Hybrid, blue accents abound on the diverse Maserati leitmotifs, from the blue-hued iconic triple side air vents on the front end mudguard to the blue lightning bolt hitting through the Saetta logo on the rear pillar and blue Brembo brake callipers – all perfectly complementing the blue interior stitching.
The assisted door closure, functioning much similar your soft-closing kitchen cabinet doors, offers yet another level of luxury with a side of peace of listen.
You'll also exist happy to know that you get a generous 500 litres of boot space, despite the car conveying a battery pack, and y'all can activate the motorised latch simply past moving your foot under the rear bumper – useful for when your hands are full with kids or shopping bags.
And while you're hanging out at the rear, you'll be fifty-fifty happier to know that – despite it beingness an EV – the manufacturer has managed to keep the earliest rumble of the distinctive growl signature of every Maserati on the Ghibli Hybrid. This was washed by tweaking the fluid dynamics of the exhaust, without being artificially enhanced by amplifiers or resonators.
As they say, luxury is always in the details, and this was certainly music to our ears as we drove away in this powerful, premium sophisticated sedan.
MASERATI GHIBLI HYBRID SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE: iv-cylinder, 2-litre petrol engine with a 48-volt Hybrid arrangement
POWER: 330hp at five,750rpm
TORQUE: 450Nm at four,000rpm
TRANSMISSION: Eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox with paddle shift
0-100 KM/H: five.seven seconds
Acme SPEED: 255km/h
FUEL CONSUMPTION:7 litres/100km
PRICE: Southward$338,800 (without COE)
0 Response to "Could the new Maserati Ghibli Hybrid be what electric dreams are made of?"
Post a Comment